Snacks in Hand

Today we've got delicious recipes to help you send your child back to school. A PB + J is always a favorite, but why not mix it up? Things like homemade granola bars can be fun to make together and it can be done ahead of time so you have a little less to worry about during your week.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Beet Muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup canola oil

2 cups applesauce

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup shredded peeled beets

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups

2. Mix the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the canola oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and water. Pour the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries and shredded beats. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cranberry Nut Granola Bars Recipe

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup mixed nuts

1 cup dried cranberries

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 13x9-inch pan with lightly-greased parchment paper; an inch or so of parchment paper should stick up on 2 sides to form lifting handles.

2. Mix the quick-cooking oats, old-fashioned oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, mixed nuts, cranberries, and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl; spread into the prepared pan, evenly pressing into the corners and out to the sides.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes, using slightly less time for chewier bars and slightly more time for crunchier bars.

4. Allow the the bars cool for 5 minutes in the pan before using the parchment paper to lift them from the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars. Let the bars cool completely and store in an airtight container.

recipes from allrecipes.com